This document lists several income support programs that may be available to Ontario residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This information is changing rapidly and we recommend that you check with the relevant government’s website for updated information. – La version française de ce document est disponible en téléchargement ici – Introduction COVID-19 is a …
Canada Child Benefit
New data shows Ontario to deny basic needs to approximately 32,000 children
The Ontario government has introduced a law that will cancel the Transition Child Benefit on November 1, 2019. With Ontario’s changes, families living in poverty who are ineligible for child tax benefits will experience a significant loss of up to $230 per month per child. A typical two-parent households with two children, for example, will …
Benefit for Children To Be Cut from OW/ODSP
We have recently learned that the Ontario government plans on eliminating a benefit that allows some parents on Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Program to feed and clothe their children. The Transition Child Benefit provides up to $230 per child per month to parents on OW or ODSP who are not eligible for the …
No Child Should Live in Poverty / Aucun enfant ne devrait vivre dans la pauvreté
New report calls for end to discrimination in the Canada Child Benefit – la version française suit dessous – As kids across Canada go back to school this month, a new report details how some low-income families are excluded from a government program that would help them afford school supplies, as well as rent and …
Federal government releases national Poverty Reduction Strategy
On Tuesday, August 21, the federal government released Canada’s first-ever national Poverty Reduction Strategy. Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (CPRS), entitled Opportunity for All, sets targets and timelines for reducing poverty, puts in place a new National Advisory Council on Poverty, and establishes an official national poverty line. The CPRS also commits to public reporting on …
Federal Budget 2018: Income Security Highlights
The federal Liberal government introduced its third budget last Tuesday, February 27. The Budget and all associated documents are available at this link: https://www.budget.gc.ca/2018/docs/nrc/2018-02-27-en.html Here are a few highlights on income security and related issues. This list is not exhaustive – some helpful resources are included at the end of this email that can provide …
Challenging discriminatory legislation: Watch the Supreme Court hearing live
Where can you go when government benefit programs discriminate against you? The Supreme Court of Canada will be hearing an important case about that issue on November 28, 2017. The Government of Canada is responsible for a number of very important programs and social benefits that people rely on in order to get by, including …
A Roadmap for Change: Tools You Can Use to Have Your Voice Heard
– la version française suit dessous – A new report called “Income Security: A Roadmap for Change” was released on November 2, 2017. The Roadmap was written by three working groups that were asked by the Minister of Community and Social Services in 2016 to give advice to the government on how to reform Ontario’s …
Federal Fall Economic Statement: Good news but much more work to be done
The federal government released its Fall Economic Statement yesterday, which included new investments in the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) and the Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB). Since 2016, advocates have been pushing the federal government to speed up their plans to index the CCB to inflation, which was originally scheduled for July 2020. The announcement …
Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy: ISAC’s Submission and Have Your Say
ISAC recently made a submission to the federal government’s consultations on the creation of a national Poverty Reduction Strategy. While Canada is a wealthy country, nearly 5 million of us continue to live in poverty. The federal government has a critically important role to play in reducing and eliminating poverty and income inequality nationally. Our …
